Piston-ring contractor.



PATENTED JULY 30, 1907. 0. WINTER. I PISTON RING CONTRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED APBQN. 1907.

OSCAR wr'n'rsn, OF ELYRIA, 01110.

PISTON-RING CONTRACTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. July 30, 190?.

Application filed April 18,1907. Serial No. 868,937.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OscAn Woman, a citizen of the United States,residing at Elyria, in the county of Lerain and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Pistondting (.ontractor, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to piston ring contracting tools, and has for itsprincipal object to provide a tool of simple and economical constructionby which the packing rings or pistons, plungers and like members may hecontracted in order to permit the ready introductionof such members intotheir cylinders.

A further object of the invention is to provide a. device of this classin which the piston ring when compressed may be locked in place, andduring the introduction of the piston into the cylinder the tool willbecome detached by engagement with the end of the cylinder.

A still further object ol the invention is to provide a tool of thisclass in which the spaced ends of the piston ring may be brought intoproper relative position and held from springing outward beyond theperiphery of the piston.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafterappear, the invention consists in certain novel features of constructionand arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims, it being understood that various changes in the form,proportions, size and minor details of the structure may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings:-ligure 1 is an elevation of a piston ringcontracting tool constructed in accordance with the invention, showingthe tool in open position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the Workengaging arms in contracted position. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionalview looking in the direction of the arm of Fig, 1 Fig. 4 is a similarvicn showing the two handles in closed position.

Similar numerals oi reference are en'iployed to indicate correspondingparts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The improved tool comprises a pair of laterally movable jaws 5 and cwhich are pivotally connected by a pin 7 and each jaw is prch-rahly lUIHHKl UlJEI single piece of flat steel having one longitudinal edgethereof curved to form an operating handle 8.

The pivoted jaws 5 and (i are provided with extending arms 5) and 10,respectively, the ends of said arms being rou ndcd and forming camswhich engage with the end portions of the ring being contracted andserve to guide the ends of the rings during the contracting operation.

To the arm 9 is pivoted a shackle 12 and to this shackle is secured oneend of a flexible member 15 that preferably is in the form of a chain.The opposite arm 10 is cut away to form a hook, the hill 16 of which mayenter any one of the links of the chain, so that the device may beapplied to piston rings of different diameter. I

Mounted on the arm 5 is a pin or roller 16 having an annular groove forthe reception of a toothed locking rack 1? that is pivoted on a pin 18carried by the opposite arni, the teeth of the rack being rounded, sothat they may ride freely over the roller during the operation ofcontracting the ring. The rack is provided with an upwardly extendingarm 19 which is connected to a fixed stud 21, by means oi-a tensionspring 20, and

below the arm is a finger piece 23 which may be dcpressed for thepurpose of moving the rack from ongagement with the locking pin 16.

In mounting the device, the arms are opened to the fullest extent, asindicated in Fig. 1, it being noted that the two arms 9 and 10 will, inthis position, follow approximately the curvature of the piston ring andwill serve in a measure as guides'ior retaining the ends of the ring inproper position during the contracting operation. The chain is passedaround the ring when in expanded position and one of the links of thechain is passed over the hill 16. The operator then grasps the handles,and forces said handles together, for the purpose of drawing the chainclosely around the ring, and during this operation the rounded ends ofthe arms will ride against the end portions of the ring and will preventthe same from springing outward, so that the ends of said ring may hebrought together, and the ring as a whole contracted to the positionshown in Fig. 2. AL ter the ring has been fully contracted within thepiston groove and the handles have been locked in the manner shown inFig. 2, the tool is allowed to remain on the ring, and both hands of theoperator are then free to introduce the piston into the cylinder. Duringthis latter operation, the chain will be engaged by the end wall of thecylinder after the ring has been partly introduced, and as the pistoncontinues this movement, the tool will he gradually forced from [he ringon to the piston proper, and then may he readily unlocked and detachedfor use, if necessary, on a second or third ring,

if required.

With a device constructed in accordance with this invention, the pistonrings may be contracted to any desired extent, and may be locked inposition in such manner as to prevent the automatic removal of the toolas the piston is being forced into the cylinder.

1 claim:- 1

A piston ring contracting tool comprising a pair of pivotally connectedarms, the inner ends of which are ronnded to fprm ca'm surfaces forengagenient against the outer a spring tending to hold the rackin-engagement with the 10 faeeof the piston ring, one of said arms beingshaped to pin, substantially as specified. "I ezx'n' a'n inwardly bentbill, a shn'ekle pivotally connected In testimony that I claim theforegoing as my own, 1 io the other arm, '21 chain having one endconnected to the have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of twoshuckle anyo e of'the links of the opposite end 01 the witnesses.""ehs'un being arranged to be engaged by the hook. & D OSCAR WINTER- ghy mounted lockbur carried, by one of the arms and-pro- Witnesses (ledwith a locking rack, 11 pin carried by the other arm A. E. LAvam'qcs, qlarranggl to be engaged by the teeth of such nick, and L. D HAMLIN.

